Scooter



Feb. 2 ,1926. f 1,571,562

P. B. TINGLEY SCOOTER Filed March 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,562

P.BKHNGLEY SCOOTER Filed March 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 il i IIII awmm Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

entree E'HILO B. TING-REY, GE 1333? YORK, N. Y.

SCOOTER.

Application filed March 13, 1924. Serial No. 6985575.

To all w/l-om it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILO B. TINGLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York, State of New York, have invented a new and use 'iul "ooter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a wheeled playthino; for children. It is of the type of de vice known as scooters, and has for an objec to provide an article of this character with improved means for driving it while the child is supported by the device, and particularly by means of one or more pivoted treadles which may be operated by the heel of the foot while the hall of the foot is res ing on a suitable stationary support.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved driving means from the treadle to one of the supporting wheels, which will be very simple in construction, comprising a minimum number of parts, and which will be reliable and efficient in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character having a pair of treadles, in which there is a separate and independent driving means from each treadle to a supporting wheel, and it is. a still further object of the invention to provide a driving means which may be rendered inoperative at will so that the device may be used for coasting, or may be used as similar devices without any driving means by pushing with one foot on the ground.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the constructions illustrated in the accompanying drawings which illustrate how the principles of my invention may be applied, and which drawings form a part of this specification. in these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the method of operation, the construction in this figure comprising two wheels only.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving connection from a treadle to the rear wheel, and on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 8 is stop plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, showing also a similar driving means on the opposite side of the wheel.

Fig. lis a detailed view of the driving pawl showing its method of engaging the gear teeth.

Fig. 5 if} a top plan view similar to Fig. 3-showing how the device may he applied to a scooter having two rear wheels.

Fig. 6 is a detailed elevation looking from the left of Fig. 5.

7 is a detailed top plan view showing means for holding the treadle depressed so the device may be used for coasting, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4i, a suitable frame is provided in the construction shown comprising a pair of spaced bars or straps 10 which extend upwardly at their forward ends and are secured to one member ofa hinge element 11. Pivoted to the element by a suitable pin 12 is an upright frame 13 including a fork 14- at its lower end between which the froi'it wheel 15 is mounted, and carrying at its upper end handle bars 16 by which the device may be guided.

The side bars 10 are separated and connected adjacent their rear ends to an axle bolt 17 uponwhich the rear wheel 18 is mounted, this wheel being located between the side bars of the frame, as shown in Fig. 3. It is preferred to provide suitable roller or ball bearings for the wheels, but these are not illustrated as they may be of any usual construction and form no part of my present invention.

Carried'by the frame between the wheels, is a foot rest 19 which may be secured to the side bars 10 by any suitable means such as straps E20 and bolt-s 21 Pivoted in the frame immedately to the rear of the foot rest is one or more treadles 22. It is preferred to provide a pair of these treadles, one for each foot. These treadles are provided with downwardly extending ears 23 through which a pivot rod 24 extends, this rod also extending through the side bars of the frame. A spring is preferably provided for this treadle tending to hold the free end of the treadle in elevated position. It is shown as a coil spring 25 embracing the rod 24 and engaging the side members and the under sides of the treadle at its free ends, which will retain the spring under tension.

Rigidly connected to the rear wheel so as to rotate therewith is one or more gear wheels 26. I prefer to provideone of these 7 weight gears on each side of the wheel, and to provide an independent driving connection to each gear from one of the treadles so that there will thus be an independent driving connection from each trcadle to the wheel driven thereby, and each is capable of independent operation. This driving connection may be of ditl'erent types, but i. prefer that sul'istantially as shown as it is extremely simple in construction with great. strength and durability, and it is relatively light in as compared with its driving strength.

Carried by each of the side bars 10 1s a small pinion 27 mounted to rotate on a suitable support as a bolt 28. This pinion meshes with the gear 26. Also carried by the side bar is a large driving gear 29 meshing with the pinion?! and mounted to 1'0- tate on a suitable stud 30. Pivotally mounted on this. stud is a rocking support for a pivoted pawl 31, the rocking support comprising side members 32, one on each side of the gear 29, and both of these side members are pivoted on the stud 30. This gives a direct support at both sides of the pawl, and prevents the pull or the pawl tending to twist its support, so that the pull is always straight forward and has no tendency to cause the support to clamp or bind. The swinging support is connected to the treadle by a pair of links one on each side of the gear, and in the presentca. e outside of the pawl support. These links are pivoted at their opposite ends to the pawl support, as shown at 34', and as shown at 35, to ears 36 carried by the treadles. This construction always insures a straight pull of the treadle on the pawl support with no danger of clamping or binding. The ears 36 are also preferably provided with stop lugs 37 adapted to engage the under sides of the links as shown in F :5, to limit the upward movement oi? the treadle.

It is especially to he noted that the pivoted pawl 31 engages the teeth of the driving gear 529 so that no separate toothed ratchet is required. provided with one or more teeth 38 substantially corresponding to the teeth of the gear so to give a good grip of the pawl onthe Forwardly oi the teetl'i the pawl is provided with a stop shoi'ilder 39 engaging the top of the gear tooth when the pawl is in engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus when there is a pull on the pawl support which is t'ansterred to the gear through the pawl, there is a tendency to push the pawl inwardly against the gear, securely holding it in engagement with the teeth. Mounted to the rear of the gear 29 is an upwardly extending stop element 40 wl ch is so arranged as to engage a pro jet ion 41 on the pawl when the treadle is in the raised position andthe pawl in its The pawl is also preferably' real-most position, and acting to retain he teeth of the pawl out of contact with the teeth of the gear, as shown in Fig. Thus when there is no pressure on the treadles the wheels will run entirely tree. The stop may be mounted on a disk 40 clamped on the axle bolt. Under ordinary operation the weight of the pawl is sufiicient to move it into engagement. with the gear 29 as soon as it is moved forwardly out of engagement with the stop 40, but sometimes when the pawl support is giX eIl avery quick movement, centri. igal action will tend to keep the pawl out of engagement with the gear. To overcome this objection I prefer to pro vide a light spring 42 tending to move the pawl into engagement with the gear. This spring may be mounted on a pin 4-2 as shown in Fig. 3 with one free end engaging the pawl and the other end engaging pivot pin 34. I

It is to be noted in Fig. 3 that there is a complete driving connection from each treadle to the rear wheel, and that these driving connections are the same, and further that each may be operated entirely independent of the other. a

It sometimes happens that the child will wish to coast or may wish to use the device by pushing with one foot on the ground. Means is, therefore, provided for holding the treadles depressed so as to give a horizontal support for the feet. For this purpose a hook 43, or other suitable catch, is mounted on the side bars 10. This hook is pivoted to the side bar as shown at 4, and provided with a weight 45 at one side thereof tending to hold it from securing position and against a suitable stop46. lVhile the free end of the treadle is depressed the tree end of. the hook may be moved to the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8 to hold the treadle iuthis position. The top of the treadle is preferably provided with a depression shown. at 47 to receive the hook and the wall thereof is inclined so that the force of the spring 25 will tendto retain the hook in the, securing position.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown how a similar construction may be applied to a device having three or more wheels as some children, especially the younger ones, may not be able to acquire the trick of balancing required with the two wheel device. In this construction the frame is substantially the same as in the first form except that the rear ends of the side bars 48 are bent outwardly and separated at a greater distance to accommodate the two wheels 49 and the driving mechanism therefor- The outer end of the axle bolts 17 are conpected to the side bars 48 while their inner ends are connected to supplemental bars 50, these bars being mounted at their other ends between the side bars forwardly of the wheels, as by iii a transverse bolt 51 with spacing tubes 52 embracing the holt between the bars to retain them in proper relation. The driving connection from the two pivoted treadles 272 are exactly the same as in the first form including the gear 29, the pawl 31 and so forth, except that instead of the two treadles having driving connection withthe same supporting wheel each treadle has drivingconnection with one of the two wheels 4-9. Both driving means are also located between the wheels so that they are protected from injury from the sides of the device and the treadles are in the same relative position as in the first form. The inner ends of the two axle bolts 17 are also secured together to give a D103? rigid support. For this purpose a platform is provided, preferably a metal casting having downwardly eX- tending ears 54 which are secured to the supplemental bars 50 by suitable means, as screws 55, and the ends of the axle bolts pass through these ears so that they are clamped to the bars 50, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This platform may be extended to the rear of the axle, as shown in 5, to provide a foot rest upon which a smaller brother or sister may stand. and ride.

It will be apparent that in operation either treadle may be used alone or that they may be depressed alternately or together as desired. The usual operation, however, is to operate them. alternately, that is, to depress one while the other is rising); to give a more uniform and continuous driving effect. As

soon as the treadle is depressed sufficiently to move the pawl away from the stop 40, the teeth of the pawl engage the teeth on the rear 29 so that further movement of the pawl will rotate this gear and drive the rear wheel. Vi hen the forward movement of the pawl is Fltfipl itd the wheel may continue to rotate. Vi hen the treadle is in raised position so that the pawl is against the stop 40, as shown in Fig. 2, the pawl is held out of engagement with the gear so that the device is free to be pushed either forwardly or baclnvardly as desired. By having the pawl engage one of the driving" wheels directly the number of elements required is reduced besides giving a better and more reliable operation. The arrangement of the treadles is so that they may be operated by the heels while the balls of the feet rest on the foot rest. This is a material advantage as it provides a place for the operator to stand distinct from the treadles themselves, but at the same time allows easy and efficient operation of these treadles. The straddle construction both of the single wheels shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the straddle drive for the main gear 29, divides the strain equally on both sides and allows the use of a lighter construction with great strength and. durability. It also gives easier operation.

oted at the rear of said. rest and each arranged for operation by the heel of a foot while the ball of the foot is on said rest, supporting wheels for said rest and an independent driving connection from each treadle to a wheel.

2. In a device of the character described, a stationary foot rest, front and rear wheels for supporting said rest, a pair of treadles pivoted to the rear of said rest, and an independent driving connection from each treadle to said wheel and located on opposite sides thereof.

3. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame, wheels for supporting said frame, a gear connected to one of the wheels, a gear carried by the frame and havdriving connection with said first gear, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the second mentioned gear, a pivoted support for the pawl embracing the gear and having pivotal supports on opposite sides of the gear, a treadle hinged to the frame and a link connection from the pawl support to the treadle.

4. In a device of the character described, a stationary foot rest, wheels for supporting said rest, a pair of treadles pivoted at the rear of said rest and each arranged for operation by the heel of a foot while the ball of the foot is on said rest, and a driving con nection from each of said treadles to a. wheel.

In a. device of the character described, a supporting frame, wheels for supporting said frame, a gear connected to one of the wheels, a gear carried by the frame and having driving; connection with said first gear, a pivoted pawl. having a. tooth adapted to engage a tooth of the second mentioned gear and a stop extending at an angle to the tooth on the pawl adapted to rest on the end of the gear tooth, a. pivoted support for the pawl, a treadle pivoted to the frame, and a link connection from the pawl support to said treadle.

6. In a device of the character described, a frame, wheels for supporting the frame, a pivoted t-readle, a gear carried by the frame, a driving connection from the gear to one of the wheels, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the gear to drive said gear, av pivoted support for said pawl, a. link connection from said treadle to the pawl support, a spring tending to hold the free end of the treadle in elevated position, a light spring tending to hold the pawl in driving engagement with the gear, and means for holding the pawl out of engagement with the gear when the treadle is in its elevated position.

7. In a device of the character described,

a frame, wheels for supporting the frame, a pivoted ,treadle, a gear carried by the frame, a driving connection from the gear to one vof the wheels, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the gear to drive said gear, a pivoted support forsaid pawl, a link connection from said treadle to the pawl support, means for holding the pawl out of engagement with the gear when the treadle is in elevated position, and a spring tending to hold the treadle in this position.

8. In a device of the character described, a frame, wheels for supporting the frame, a gear carried by the frame, a driving connection from the gear to one of the wheels, a swinging support pivoted to the frame, a pawl pivoted to said support and provided with a tooth to engage the teeth of the gear,

said pawl being provided with a projection,

a treadle pivoted to the frame, an operative connection from the treadle to said swinging support, a spring tending to hold the free endof thetreadle elevated, anda stop carried by the frame arranged to engage the projection on said pawl-to hold the pawl out port adapted to engage the teeth of the gear to drive the-same, a treadle pivoted to the frame, and a'link on each side of; the gear pivoted to the swinging support and the treadle.

10. In a device of the character described, a frame, a foot rest carried by said frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a treadle pivoted to the frame, a one way driving connection from the treadle to one of said wheels, a spring tending to hold the free end of the treadle elevated, and a releasable means carried by the frame for holding the treadle in its depressed position. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PHILO B. TINGLEY. 

